Opinion: Urgency for state water conservation
photo by: Contributed photo
Throughout 2024, parts of Kansas have been in abnormally dry or drought conditions. Some places, like those that use Cheney Reservoir west of Wichita as a water source, have even had water conservation restrictions in place for several months.
Changes in rainfall have been commonplace for the past few years. This rainfall is distributed unevenly across the state. Some places are going from very dry to getting the expected monthly rain total in a single day. These changes don’t necessarily show up in long-term averages but have a significant effect on agricultural production and infrastructure-disruptive flooding.
The historic trend of widespread droughts can also lead to increased food prices and, according to research from Harvard University, such droughts are likely to continue into the future.
These trends prompted the Docking Institute at Fort Hays State University to add water conservation questions to the annual Kansas Speaks public opinion survey this year.
The survey asked respondents whether local and state governments across the state were addressing water conservation efforts satisfactorily.
A little over 33% of respondents felt that their local government was not doing enough for water conservation in their part of Kansas. Nearly 40% felt it was doing the right amount, and only 2.4% felt it was doing too much.
Nearly 37% of respondents felt the state government was not doing enough, nearly 34% felt it was doing the right amount, and only 3.2% said it was doing too much.
Respondents were nearly evenly split on whether or not voluntary action by individuals and businesses (33.6%) is sufficient for improving water conservation efforts across the state or whether local governments should pass new laws (35.7%). Similar results appeared for voluntary action by individuals and businesses (33.5%) versus new laws from the state government (34.1%).
About 30% of respondents had no opinion for both questions.
Nearly a majority (49.6%) of Kansans report being very or moderately concerned that the state might be running out of water. An additional 27.7% report being slightly concerned.
Kansas lawmakers face a pivotal choice about the future of water conservation in the state.
The data from the Kansas Speaks survey reflects a growing public awareness of the challenges posed by shifting rainfall patterns, prolonged droughts and unequal water availability. With nearly half of Kansans expressing significant concern about the state’s water resources, it’s clear that inaction is not an option.
The question now is whether state and local leaders will take proactive steps to address these concerns through targeted policies and investments or leave the responsibility to voluntary efforts by individuals and businesses.
As extreme weather events and historic drought trends continue to strain Kansas’ water systems, the decisions made today will determine whether the state can secure its water future and support its agricultural backbone for generations to come.
— Alexandra Middlewood is chair of the political science department at Wichita State University.